Our Inorganic Media to Separate Radioisotopes from Water Streams

Veolia Nuclear Solutions has developed several classes of Ion Specific Media (ISM) to target and remove radioactive isotopes (cesium, strontium, technetium, iodine and among others) from aqueous solutions.

Our media have been used to treat contaminants in many types of projects: groundwater remediation, nuclear fuel pools and nuclear power plants.

Technology Proven Over Centuries

Based on ion exchange – a natural phenomenon that has been harnessed by scientists and engineers for over 150 years – Veolia Nuclear Solutions’ Ion Specific Media builds upon technologies and is proven to be effective for environmental remediation.

A Molecular Filter

The greatest threat to human health and the surrounding environment are ions and isotopes with long half-lives, such as cesium-137, strontium-90, iodine-129, and technetium-99. We capture these hazards with Veolia’s Ion Specific Media through an ion exchange process.

Ion exchange materials can capture ions based on both their size and charge. Imagine a chain-link fence: The wires form a hole in which a single golf ball is perched. If a tennis ball were to hit the fence, it would displace the golf ball and stick within the links. Similarly, ions such as cesium act as the tennis ball during the ion exchange process, where they displace sodium and are captured within the exchange material.

Our Ion Specific Media are available in three formats to accommodate the needs of any project:

Batch applications → Powder

​Column applications → Granular

Specialty applications → Spherical

ISM® are uniquely robust across a wide range of operating parameters and are compatible with existing nuclear power plant water purification and demineralization filtration systems. Specialty mobile systems allow ISM to be quickly deployed in remote or hazardous locations.